The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-06-17
NUMBER SO
THE DRUGGISTS.
Meeting Of the Minnesota State Pharma.
ceutical Association at New Ulm
Tuesday.
Address by President Jones, Of
Mankato-Other Business Trans
acted.

AuOcuoys
Address by President Jones, O
Mankato-Other Business Trans
acted.
Special to Daily Free Press.
NEW ULM, June 1.-THE third annua
meeting of the Minnesota State Phar
maceutical Association convened a
Turner Hall at 10 a. IN. to-day. Mayo
Weschke welcomed the visiting drug
gists to the city in few well-choser
words. DIR. Theo. F. Stark, of Minneap
oils, responded on behalf of the Ass0cia
ton. President Jno. X. Jones, of Man
kato, then delivered the annual address
the full text of which follows:
Fellow members of the Minnesot,
State Pharmaceutical Associations:
GENTLEMEN: Through your good vii
and suffrage it becomes my duty ano
my privilege to-day to extend kind
word of greeting to the members ofthe
association.
A year has passed over our heads
since we last meta year which trust
has dealt gently with us all and brought
a fair share of prosperity to- each and
every one present. With gratitude to
that Divine, overriding Providence
who has given us another year of con.
tinued prosperity, We join hands for re
newed efforts in the cause of enlighten
ed pharmacy.
We have assembled again i'm annua
council; not merely for friendly greet,
ings, although that were pleasant ant
profitable, but We have assembled to.
gether to exchange ideas, to review the
past and consult for the work of the fu
ture. ! am speaking to those who wei
know the exacting nature of the labors
OF practical pharmacist, and the close
application of mind his duties require
You are well aware how little time is af-
forded me for the preparation of an adj
dress worthy the attention of this body
Since SO little opportunity is allowed us
in the graceful language of publ,
speaker, warn you, on pain of bein,
sOrely disappointed, not to expect al
elaborate address to-day.
This is an age of special ties. To dc
one thing, and do it well is manifestly
better than to do many things in an in
different manner. Each year is servin.
to convince thinking people that tt
know all about something is better than
to know something about all things
We desire to know all we can learn ano
all that is best to know about pharma
cy-hence our assembly here to-day
When we stop to mediate on the i'm
portance attached to the position of q
dispensing druggist, it calls forth serious
reflections. We represent a position
that bears most intimate relation to
the welfare of humanity Between the
physician and the ellis that human flesh
is heir to-" stands the pharmacist. He is
the interpreter of (the too often illegi-
ble) messages of healing, and he must
merit the full confidence of both parties.
Incompetency in such position, be-
tween the art of healing and the affiic-
tons of suffering humanity, must work
untold harm. That such harm is caused
by a mere mistake of the compounder
of medicine, in no wise lessons the
wrongs and the misery inflicted. HUI
man life is often at stake in the pre-
|scription before us. There must be nc
mistake.
1t is for the purpose of elevating the
standard of our profession, and sustain.
ing the reputation of conscientious and
tuTOuSIlOuE tilc
State that we band together in the asso-
citation here represented.
As State Association we are young,
and l hope becomingly modest. Two
years ago last March the Pharmacy law
of Minnesota went into operation. And
two years ago at this time we held our
first annual session. We began with SO
members, which membership was IN
creased at the next gathering to l54 mem
bers. At the close of the last meeting
our worthy secretary was able to an
nounce membership of 205. The pro-
|gress thus made during so short time
is such as should encourage every reput-
able druggist in the State to take an ac-
tive interest and help make this great
State of Minnesota in pharmacy what
she merits at our hands. There is not a
more healthful State or more salubrious
climate anywhere; and this, too, not
withstanding the fact that Minnesota is
becoming more and more the resort of
invalids and sick folks from other eli
mates. A large sphere of helpfulness In
ministering faithfully to the healing OF
the nations is open to us.
Our object being to elevate and render
more effectual the practice of pharmacy
by the diffusion of knowledge and the
Fupholding of high code of morals, we
desire to enlarge the membership of the
association and make 1t as fully repre-
sentative as possible. There is hardly
any limit to its value and power of influ-
ence for good if its active working mem
bership could be increased even TO one
half or two-thirds of the number of reg
istered Pharmacists in this State.
The law of association is well recog-
nized in all departments of human acti-
witty. Our civilization could make little
progress without such combinations of
like-minded individuals. Why should
not we avail ourselves of this power?
Individually and single-handed we
can cope but blindly with the changes
going on about us in the world. The
wisest of us are sometimes perplexed
and baffied by complications that arise
in our professional experience. Here,
any such problem awakens live inter
est. Such may be presented here and
under the broader experience of q large
fraternity, at least some clue to their So
luton may be found. A little light
from many sources will illuminate the
deepest darkness. Thus the organized
power of fellow sympathy in common
cause both stimulates Individual with
an energy and combines together the
scattered forces of each.
An interesting and important feature
| of our last meeting lay in the papers
presented on that occasion. AS the as.
ISOLATION grows, as its membership in
creases and its interest deepens, there
will be more of such valuable contribu-
tons.
In this connection let me call your at.
tention to the practical value of the
"queries" to be presented by your spec.
| ial committee. The more general the
interest taken in raising such queries the
more directly profitable will the treat
ment of them become. They serve to
engender a healthy intellectual impulse
and to develop much useful information
Another important direction in which
our associated influence may make Itself
felt is in securing intelligent legislation
where legislation is needed. Eternal
| vigilance is the price of liberty" said an
eminent statesman. 1t is not enough to
have secured the passage of good law
Its preservation and enforcement must
be looked after continually. We have q
port of whole organization at its back
they will guard our interests in every
lust and lawful way.
But, for the enforcement of present
laws, it seems to me, some special pro-
vision should be made. lam creditably
informed that in some cities of our state
the recent pharmacy law is practically a
dead letter. Its provisions are openly
violated, and no attempt at prosecution
| of offenders is made. One reason fol
this is the fact that no individual cares
/ to appear personally against fellow.
druggist and incur the enmity that would
naturally follow such prosecution.
We, as body, should determine that
the law shall not be violated with inn
punity. We should show that we are
lust as much concerned in the execution
Iof laws as in the making of laws.